Meet Chris Banfield

April 2012

Hometown: Moline, IllinoisMajor: HistoryIn what country did you study abroad? GermanyHow long were you there? 3 months

Why did you choose to study in that country? I have been taking German since I came to St. Ambrose and I had always wanted to travel to Germany, so I went there to study German.

Best memory? Seeing all of the historical landmarks. The one thing that I will never forget was going to the concentration camp Dachau.

What was the hardest part about studying in a different country? Knowing what awesome thing to do first.

How did your experience abroad impact you as a person? Studying abroad opened my eyes to a lot of things. Meeting new people from abroad and making connections with them. One can learn many things being placed in a situation where you are forced to come out of your shell.

Any advice to other students about studying abroad? Take advantage of being somewhere you may never return to. Live and breathe the culture there; see all the sites; meet new people; and talk to people often. Never be afraid to try and talk to them in their native language, even if your foreign language skills are not up to par.